st.george,ut
 

We,a family of 5 3 adults & 2 childen, are looking for a place to stay in st. george as a stopping place between Las Vegas and the north rim.

what do you suggest?

Melissa

Why St. George? If you really want a very scenic place stay in Springdale, Utah at the gateway to Zion National Park.

Also beware that the N. Rim doesn't open until mid-May.

Utahtea

we are driving from Las vegas to the north rim in july. we are only looking for a place to sleep.
after the north rim, we are going to lake powell. then cliffrose lodge in springdale and then up to moab

is kanab ut a better place to stop on the way to the north rim?

Melissa

It depends on the time of day you are doing this trip but total driving time here is about only 6-7 hours including stopping for a meal. I did this with my family last summer. If you need to stop, St. George is probably the choice. It is closer to Vegas than the North Rim..driving time wise. Kanab is a town of not much. We did stop there to pick up snacks and do some lite grocery shopping. I do not recall seeing a motel at all...then again I was not looking for that. There may be a mom and pop type place.

Be sure that you stop in Jacob Lake and get some fresh cookies! This is not to be missed!

we are flying into las vegas and arriving late at night.
that is why we wanted to stop mid way

is st george more on the way to the north rim?

St. George is about 120 miles from Las Vegas and the miles are on fast driving interstate 15. If you are getting really late then you might want to stop in Mesquite, NV instead which is only about 85 miles from LV. Kanab is out of your way just a little and I don't think you will get nearly the choice of motels as in St. George.

St. George is a little less than half way and will be a good place to spend the night. We camp so I can't recommend a place.

Utahtea

Depending on how late you get in and how long you want to drive from Las Vegas, Mesquite, NV, is another possibility. There are a number of casino/hotels there, all with buffets. It will shorten your drive that night by about 45 minutes compared to going into St. George and will add to the drive the next morning.

The reason I would stop in Mesquite is because the Virgin River Gorge is a spectacular drive between Mesquite and St. George and if you drive it after dark, you won't see much of it.

I stay at the Virgin River Hotel and Casino in Mesquite but there a number of others from which to choose.

since we only have one night to stay at the north rim, i was trying to get there as early as possible. that is why I wanted to travel 1/2 way at night. should i leave the extra travel time to the morning to see the virgin river gorge.
is the afternoon enough to see the north rim?
we wanted to take the 1 hour mule ride.

Thanks for your help


Melissa

He have stayed at the Hampton Inn in St. George with 5 in a room - two queen beds and a roll away. The rooms weren't fancy, but fairly new, clean and roomy with a free, nice continental breakfast.

I stayed at the Budget Inn; very good location and restaurant right next door.

http://www.budgetinnstgeorge.com/

Hi Melissa

I understand totally what you mean. We stayed in St George, 126 miles from Vegas, and then continued on to north rim, 151 miles, the next day. After a long flight, we just want a place to sleep, and hopefully position ourselves for the next day.

We stayed at a Super 8--typical Super 8--clean, not fancy, but right across from a small mall that had a Pizza Hut and supermarket to stock up on supplies.

Although the Virgin River Gorge is a very scenic drive, and definitely a nice break from the "flats," personally I wouldn't call it a "must see" especially since you'll be experiencing lots of other spectacular scenery on this trip.

Thanks . I think that we will stay in St.George

what did you do at the north rim?
how much time did you spend there?

We arrived at north rim early afternoon, and spent two full days there. Did easy hikes and relaxed both days as we acclimated to the altittude and slight jet lag. Around lodge did Bright Angel Trail (once in the moonlight, which was beautiful) and Transcept Trail.

Second day we drove to Imperial Point, and in that area hiked to Cape Final and around Angel Window and Cape Royal.

Melissa,

You will see the Virgin River Gorge if you are returing to Las Vegas after Zion.

Utahtea

after zion, we are heading to maob and then up to yellowstone
so I guess we will miss the virgin river gorge

We arrived at the N. Rim around 11AM and left the next day around 9AM. Did pretty much the same as Clousie and it gave us plenty to see and a feel for the GC. We actually enjoyed Bryce and Zion more.

Now that I know your travel situation, St. George sounds like a good idea. The Virgin River Gorge is fine but not necessarily a stopping point, its a diversion from what you have been driving through to get there.

Try and stay out of the way of the trucks that saw it as a challenge to their high speed driving skills.